HEALTH MATTERS
5 SIMPLE WAYS PARENTS CAN MAKE THE WORLD GENTLE FOR BABY
Article by Proctor and Gamble Company
(BPT) - The big day has finally arrived and your newborn is here. Your baby is as perfect as you imagined and you're filled with a love you never knew existed. Even before she or he arrived, you started making more careful choices and looked for gentle alternatives with natural-based ingredients for your little bundle of joy.
One thing that needs to be considered when seeking out gentle options for babies is their skin - and that starts with the precious threads in babies' clothing, according to pediatric dermatologist Dr. Jody Levine.
"As a pediatric dermatologist and mother of five, I know that babies' skin can go through many changes throughout infancy, and the majority are perfectly normal," Levine says. "There are simple ways parents can protect babies' skin from irritants, such as pre-washing clothes before first wear and choosing gentle fabrics."
Levine offers parents some tips on how to keep the world gentle for your little one:
1. Moisturize when needed.
Peeling skin around the wrists and ankles is a normal part of a baby's development, and requires no treatment. However, if dry or sensitive skin persists after the first few weeks of life, special care may be needed. Keep baths short, use water that's warm, but not hot, and a small amount of gentle cleanser. For babies with dry skin, moisturize twice daily using an ointment or a cream, preferably one with many ceramides.
2. Choose the gentle fabrics.
Infant skin is definitely more sensitive than adult skin, so the fabrics you put against your baby's skin can affect her comfort and skin health. Choose light, comfortable clothes that are free of pleats or seams that can put unnecessary
"Nine out of 10 dermatologists recommend parents wash baby's clothing before wearing it for the first time,..."